Comparison between longitudinal tensile characteristics of thin and thick thermoset composite laminates: influence of curing conditions

In a previous study we set up an optimization procedure for thick laminate cure cycles. This procedure enabled us to determine an optimized cure cycle for manufacturing two 31.5 mm thick laminates with different stacking sequences. We also analyzed their physical characteristics which were found to be uniform throughout the laminate thickness except for the fiber volume fraction. The next stage consisted of comparing the longitudinal tensile mechanical behavior of 31.5 mm thick and thin laminates with similar stacking sequences and physical characteristics. The tests performed on thick (252 plies) and thin (28 plies) laminates prove the validity of the optimized cure cycle, since the difference between thin and thick laminates mechanical characteristics was shown to be highly dependent on the testing conditions.